Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 12:01:59 GMT -8
Okay, Aaron; keep calm. He told himself as he walked through the increasingly panicked crowds. There are a thousand reasons why everything might be fine. Sadly, his mind could only focus on the one way it could all go wrong. He kept thinking that the last time he had seen his wife would remain that. And the last words he had said to her would be so far from the words he would say now. It kept him in a perpetually tragic hope: needing to see her safe in fear of the worst.
Eden had asked him to go back to his quarters, but if that wasn’t where Hailey was, that couldn’t be where he was. Between the double-red alert, the sudden lockdown of the base, and the rotten luck Aaron had witnessed during his time in the Gamma Quadrant, heaven knew what would come next. Whatever came, he wanted to be by her side through it all.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” came a bellowing voice from beyond the slow moving crowd. “Please continue forward. Do not stop until you reach the designated safe zone. I repeat—“
The sound of a crying child only a few meters away overpowered the man’s voice. Aaron turned to see a father pick up his child and hold her tight. His eyes lowered slightly at the painful remainder it served for him. That could have been him, if he hadn’t been so selfish. Could that still be him…one day?
Aaron closed his eyed and attempted to pinpoint the source of the commanding voice. It sounded close. Maybe a minute ahead? He listened again. Right. Definitely towards his right. With a bit more push than he usually preferred to give in a crowd, Aaron forced his way towards the Starfleet officer. Yellow collar; probably security.
The officer made eye contact with Aaron and frowned. “Sir, please keep moving.”
Aaron held his hands up to show that he meant no disrespect. “I intend to, but I need—“
“Sir,” The Lieutenant interrupted more forcefully. “I need you to keep moving. We are at double red alert. It is not safe here.”
“I know,” Aaron replied, halfway matching the man’s tone. “I lost my wife. I need your help to find her.”
The Lieutenant shook his head. “I’m sure she is on her way to the safety zone. When you reach it, ask for—“
“No!” Aaron interrupted this time. The officer's head jolted back from the force of his resistance. Aaron didn't care. He couldn’t wait. He needed to find her now. Besides, she was just as likely in another part of the station than here. “It’s your job to keep her safe."
The Lieutenant grabbed onto Aaron’s arm, and drug him out of the way of the crowd. Aaron could tell the man was not in a trying mood. “I’m only going to say this one more time, sir.” There was no mistaking the bite in that “sir”. “You will continue to the safe zone and stay there, or I will personally throw you in the Brig. Am I understood?”
Aaron looked at him with near horror. This man was no Eden. He was as far from Eden as he could imagine. All he cared about was following orders. He didn’t care about saving lives at all. Aaron yanked his arm free, and turned back to the crowd. Lieutenant Jackass didn’t deserve a response.
With his temper kindled, he continued to weed his way towards the safety zone. The last thing he wanted was to spend this time in a cell. It wouldn’t help Hailey, and he would be ashamed if Eden found him like that. As his panic began to swell up, Aaron stepped out of the crowd, found a nearby corner, and punched the wall. It hurt, but not as much as he hurt already. If anything, it felt better. It allowed some of the steam to vent. He felt so useless. What would he do now? What could he do now?
Some days, though, life granted mercy. The obnoxious klaxons and red hues disappeared, replaced by a much more pleasant yellow. Aaron turned around with surprise on his expression. It was over? Just like that? He leaned back against the wall and took a moment to breathe. Simply breathe. His fear waded, but not completely. He still worried that whatever had caused this alert was still a threat. He needed answers. He needed comfort.
He needed Starfleet.
Tag: Any (take it, @supernova)
Eden had asked him to go back to his quarters, but if that wasn’t where Hailey was, that couldn’t be where he was. Between the double-red alert, the sudden lockdown of the base, and the rotten luck Aaron had witnessed during his time in the Gamma Quadrant, heaven knew what would come next. Whatever came, he wanted to be by her side through it all.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” came a bellowing voice from beyond the slow moving crowd. “Please continue forward. Do not stop until you reach the designated safe zone. I repeat—“
The sound of a crying child only a few meters away overpowered the man’s voice. Aaron turned to see a father pick up his child and hold her tight. His eyes lowered slightly at the painful remainder it served for him. That could have been him, if he hadn’t been so selfish. Could that still be him…one day?
Aaron closed his eyed and attempted to pinpoint the source of the commanding voice. It sounded close. Maybe a minute ahead? He listened again. Right. Definitely towards his right. With a bit more push than he usually preferred to give in a crowd, Aaron forced his way towards the Starfleet officer. Yellow collar; probably security.
The officer made eye contact with Aaron and frowned. “Sir, please keep moving.”
Aaron held his hands up to show that he meant no disrespect. “I intend to, but I need—“
“Sir,” The Lieutenant interrupted more forcefully. “I need you to keep moving. We are at double red alert. It is not safe here.”
“I know,” Aaron replied, halfway matching the man’s tone. “I lost my wife. I need your help to find her.”
The Lieutenant shook his head. “I’m sure she is on her way to the safety zone. When you reach it, ask for—“
“No!” Aaron interrupted this time. The officer's head jolted back from the force of his resistance. Aaron didn't care. He couldn’t wait. He needed to find her now. Besides, she was just as likely in another part of the station than here. “It’s your job to keep her safe."
The Lieutenant grabbed onto Aaron’s arm, and drug him out of the way of the crowd. Aaron could tell the man was not in a trying mood. “I’m only going to say this one more time, sir.” There was no mistaking the bite in that “sir”. “You will continue to the safe zone and stay there, or I will personally throw you in the Brig. Am I understood?”
Aaron looked at him with near horror. This man was no Eden. He was as far from Eden as he could imagine. All he cared about was following orders. He didn’t care about saving lives at all. Aaron yanked his arm free, and turned back to the crowd. Lieutenant Jackass didn’t deserve a response.
With his temper kindled, he continued to weed his way towards the safety zone. The last thing he wanted was to spend this time in a cell. It wouldn’t help Hailey, and he would be ashamed if Eden found him like that. As his panic began to swell up, Aaron stepped out of the crowd, found a nearby corner, and punched the wall. It hurt, but not as much as he hurt already. If anything, it felt better. It allowed some of the steam to vent. He felt so useless. What would he do now? What could he do now?
Some days, though, life granted mercy. The obnoxious klaxons and red hues disappeared, replaced by a much more pleasant yellow. Aaron turned around with surprise on his expression. It was over? Just like that? He leaned back against the wall and took a moment to breathe. Simply breathe. His fear waded, but not completely. He still worried that whatever had caused this alert was still a threat. He needed answers. He needed comfort.
He needed Starfleet.
Tag: Any (take it, @supernova)